A climate researcher risks losing his university position by refusing to return to his home country

CNN
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Climate researcher Dr Gianluca Grimalda says he risks losing his position at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany for refusing to use the plane as transport back from Papua New Guinea.

Grimalda plans to return to Germany from his research trip without flying in order to reduce his carbon emissions by 90%, and instead intends to travel using ferries, buses, trains and cargo ships.

However, he said the institute gave him a three-day deadline to return by October 2, which would have forced him to fly, according to a statement from the climate group Scientist Rebellion.

Grimalda told CNN that the Kiel Institute told him to “expect a warning/second request to appear at Kiel while he was traveling by plane,” after he failed to return, and that they would “then issue a redundancy letter” when he failed to show up. again.

He added in a statement that his salary for the month of September was not paid and his offer of unpaid leave was rejected.

The Kiel Institute told CNN that it “does not comment publicly on internal personnel matters.” When traveling for business, the Institute supports its employees to travel in a climate-friendly manner.

When asked about Grimalda’s claim that his September salary had not been paid, the Kiel Institute said it would not comment publicly on “an internal personnel matter…to protect our employees.”

Grimalda, an experimental economist and Scientist Rebellion activist, has been doing fieldwork in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea for six months, studying the relationship between globalization, climate change and social cohesion.

Grimalda’s travel permit expired on September 10, but his search took longer than originally planned due to several security threats — including one time when he was taken hostage by a group armed with machetes. All his belongings were confiscated, the Scientist Rebellion statement said.

As the climate crisis intensifies, the impact of aviation has come under increasing scrutiny. Commercial aviation accounts for 2.5% of global carbon dioxide emissions each year, with demand for flights – and emissions – expected to increase significantly in the coming years.. Alternatively, climate activists, such as Greta Thunberg, have modeled greener ways of travel such as ships or trains.

“I am ready to face all the legal and economic consequences of this decision,” Grimalda said in a statement. “Ultimately, it is also a mental health issue. My psychological state can only be described as climate anxiety, and flying can only exacerbate this condition.

It took Grimalda 35 days to reach Papua New Guinea from Germany earlier this year, traveling 15,000 kilometers (9,321 miles) overland to Singapore before boarding a flight for the second leg of the journey.

He currently remains in Papua New Guinea before departing on a cargo ship on October 8 for the long voyage back to Germany.